Use of Mobile Devices in Public Participation for the Design of Open Spaces

Mobile devices are ubiquitous nowadays. Their use is expanding into a wide range of applications. The potential contribution of mobile devices for public participation during the decision-making process is yet unclear. This study uses the case study of a new urban park in Sheffield, UK. Using iPads, views of stakeholders including hard-to-reach groups, students and professionals are sought regarding the mobile device technology and regarding the park design. Participants were shown a short animated video of a three-dimensional model of the study site and were asked questions about the mobile device visualization. The study shows that visualization using mobile devices can contribute to enhancing the understanding of the general public, thus creating a broader base for decision-making

The use of mobile devices in participatory decision-making

Simulations have always been used for public participation in the form of maps, photos, sketches and models. Technological developments in computing and mobile platform have brought a new perspective to simulations and their use for participation. To our best knowledge, no in-depth study has been conducted related to the strengths and weaknesses of mobile device 3D visualisation use in landscape architecture. Therefore, this paper investigates the opportunities and challenges and mobile device use during a participatory decision-making process, with the help of related literature and experiences from the surveys conducted. Although pre-prepared visualisations have positive influence on engaging the public and enhancing the understanding, there is still need for future research to decide which specific mobile visualisation technique is advantageous compared to the rest of visualisation techniques

Drugs with anticholinergic side-effects in primary care

Background: Anticholinergic drugs in elderly people have been associated with some serious side.effects. Patients in Turkey tend to attend primary care centers to have prescriptions of the drugs they chronically use. However, very little are known about how frequent that these drugs are prescribed and their side-effects in Turkish population. We aimed to investigate the usage and side.effects of drugs with anticholinergic  properties in patients over 65 years of age attending to primary care centers.Materials and Methods: Five hundred and sixty.three subjects were interviewed with a questionnaire of 16 questions inquiring their medication and possible side.effects. Timed up and go test (TUGT) and standardized mini.mental test (SMMT) were also performed.Results: Medical records of 563 individuals were screened to detect  anticholinergic medication. Twenty.eight patients were using anticholinergic medication. Mean duration of anticholinergic medication usage was 3.17 years. Mean number of falls occurred in the previous year was 1.14 « 1.17. Mean SMMT score was 27.20 « 1.13. Mean TUGT scores mean was 12.4 « 1.25. Drowsiness in 18 patients (65%), dry mouth in 15 patients (53%), dry eyes in 15 patients (53%), constipation in 11 patients (39%), blurred vision in 11 patients (%39), urinary hesitancy in eight patients (28%), confusion in six patients (21%) were reported. We found that none of the subjects were evaluated in terms of fall risk or mental status by their  doctors before the prescription of drugs with anticholinergic effects.Conclusions: A suggested approach to improve drug safety was reported as to reduce the use of anticholinergic drugs when it is possible. Psychiatrists and family physicians should select less anticholinergic drugs for  medication and have to evaluate their patientsf fall risk and their cognitive status before prescribing drugs with anticholinergic side effects.Key words: Anticholinergic side effects, cognitive status, fall risk, primary car

Statistical properties of the deviations of f 0 F 2 from monthly medians

The deviations of hourly f 0 F 2 from monthly medians for 20 stations in Europe during the period 1958-1998 are studied. Spectral analysis is used to show that, both for original data (for each hour) and for the deviations from monthly medians, the deterministic components are the harmonics of 11 years (solar cycle), 1 year and its harmonics, 27 days and 12 h 50.49 m (2nd harmonic of lunar rotation period L 2 ) periodicities. Using histograms for one year samples, it is shown that the deviations from monthly medians are nearly zero mean (mean < 0.5) and approximately Gaussian (relative difference range between %10 to %20) and their standard deviations are larger for daylight hours (in the range 5-7). It is shown that the amplitude distribution of the positive and negative deviations is nearly symmetrical at night hours, but asymmetrical for day hours. The positive and negative deviations are then studied separately and it is observed that the positive deviations are nearly independent of R12 except for high latitudes, but negative deviations are modulated by R12 . The 90% confidence interval for negative deviations for each station and each hour is computed as a linear model in terms of R12. After correction for local time, it is shown that for all hours the confidence intervals increase with latitude but decrease above 60N. Long-term trend analysis showed that there is an increase in the amplitude of positive deviations from monthly means irrespective of the solar conditions. Using spectral analysis it is also shown that the seasonal dependency of negative deviations is more accentuated than the seasonal dependency of positive deviations especially at low latitudes. In certain stations, it is also observed that the 4th harmonic of 1 year corresponding to a periodicity of 3 months, which is missing in f 0 F 2 data, appears in the spectra of negative variations

The concept and impact analysis of a flexible mobility on demand system

This paper introduces an innovative transportation concept called Flexible Mobility on Demand (FMOD), which provides personalized services to passengers. FMOD is a demand responsive system in which a list of travel options is provided in real-time to each passen- ger request. The system provides passengers with flexibility to choose from a menu that is optimized in an assortment optimization framework. For operators, there is flexibility in terms of vehicle allocation to different service types: taxi, shared-taxi and mini-bus. The allocation of the available fleet to these three services is carried out dynamically so that vehicles can change roles during the day. The FMOD system is built based on a choice model and consumer surplus is taken into account in order to improve passenger satisfac- tion. Furthermore, profits of the operators are expected to increase since the system adapts to changing demand patterns. In this paper, we introduce the concept of FMOD and present preliminary simulation results. It is shown that the dynamic allocation of the vehicles to different services provides significant benefits over static allocation. Furthermore, it is observed that the trade-off between consumer surplus and operator’s profit is critical. The optimization model is adapted in order to take into account this trade-off by control- ling the level of passenger satisfaction. It is shown that with such control mechanisms FMOD provides improved results in terms of both profit and consumer surplus

Weight loss, glycemic control, and cardiovascular disease risk factors in response to differential diet composition in a weight loss program in type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial.

ObjectiveTo test whether a weight loss program promotes greater weight loss, glycemic control, and improved cardiovascular disease risk factors compared with control conditions and whether there is a differential response to higher versus lower carbohydrate intake.Research design and methodsThis randomized controlled trial at two university medical centers enrolled 227 overweight or obese adults with type 2 diabetes and assigned them to parallel in-person diet and exercise counseling, with prepackaged foods in a planned menu during the initial phase, or to usual care (UC; two weight loss counseling sessions and monthly contacts).ResultsRelative weight loss was 7.4% (95% CI 5.7-9.2%), 9.0% (7.1-10.9%), and 2.5% (1.3-3.8%) for the lower fat, lower carbohydrate, and UC groups (P &lt; 0.001 intervention effect). Glycemic control markers and triglyceride levels were lower in the intervention groups compared with UC group at 1 year (fasting glucose 141 [95% CI 133-149] vs. 159 [144-174] mg/dL, P = 0.023; hemoglobin A1c 6.9% [6.6-7.1%] vs. 7.5% [7.1-7.9%] or 52 [49-54] vs. 58 [54-63] mmol/mol, P = 0.001; triglycerides 148 [134-163] vs. 204 [173-234] mg/dL, P &lt; 0.001). The lower versus higher carbohydrate groups maintained lower hemoglobin A1c (6.6% [95% CI 6.3-6.8%] vs. 7.2% [6.8-7.5%] or 49 [45-51] vs. 55 [51-58] mmol/mol) at 1 year (P = 0.008).ConclusionsThe weight loss program resulted in greater weight loss and improved glycemic control in type 2 diabetes

Self-Duality in D <= 8-dimensional Euclidean Gravity

In the context of D-dimensional Euclidean gravity, we define the natural generalisation to D-dimensions of the self-dual Yang-Mills equations, as duality conditions on the curvature 2-form of a Riemannian manifold. Solutions to these self-duality equations are provided by manifolds of SU(2), SU(3), G_2 and Spin(7) holonomy. The equations in eight dimensions are a master set for those in lower dimensions. By considering gauge fields propagating on these self-dual manifolds and embedding the spin connection in the gauge connection, solutions to the D-dimensional equations for self-dual Yang-Mills fields are found. We show that the Yang-Mills action on such manifolds is topologically bounded from below, with the bound saturated precisely when the Yang-Mills field is self-dual. These results have a natural interpretation in supersymmetric string theory.Comment: 9 pages, Latex, factors in eqn. (6) corrected, acknowledgement and reference added, typos fixe

Mouse models of ageing and their relevance to disease

Ageing is a process that gradually increases the organism’s vulnerability to death. It affects different biological pathways, and the underlying cellular mechanisms are complex. In view of the growing disease burden of ageing populations, increasing efforts are being invested in understanding the pathways and mechanisms of ageing. We review some mouse models commonly used in studies on ageing, highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the different strategies, and discuss their relevance to disease susceptibility. In addition to addressing the genetics and phenotypic analysis of mice, we discuss examples of models of delayed or accelerated ageing and their modulation by caloric restriction

Degradation Issues in Solid Oxide Cells During High Temperature Electrolysis

Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is performing high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) research to generate hydrogen using solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs). The project goals are to address the technical and degradation issues associated with the SOECs. This paper provides a summary of ongoing INL and INL-sponsored activities aimed at addressing SOEC degradation. These activities include stack testing, post-test examination, degradation modeling, and issues that need to be addressed in the future. Major degradation issues relating to solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) are relatively better understood than those for SOECs. Some of the degradation mechanisms in SOFCs include contact problems between adjacent cell components, microstructural deterioration (coarsening) of the porous electrodes, and blocking of the reaction sites within the electrodes. Contact problems include delamination of an electrode from the electrolyte, growth of a poorly (electronically) conducting oxide layer between the metallic interconnect plates and the electrodes, and lack of contact between the interconnect and the electrode. INL's test results on HTE using solid oxide cells do not provide clear evidence as to whether different events lead to similar or drastically different electrochemical degradation mechanisms. Post-test examination of the SOECs showed that the hydrogen electrode and interconnect get partially oxidized and become nonconductive. This is most likely caused by the hydrogen stream composition and flow rate during cooldown. The oxygen electrode side of the stacks seemed to be responsible for the observed degradation because of large areas of electrode delamination. Based on the oxygen electrode appearance, the degradation of these stacks was largely controlled by the oxygen electrode delamination rate. Virkar et al. [19-22] have developed a SOEC model based on concepts in local thermodynamic equilibrium in systems otherwise in global thermodynamic nonequilibrium. This model is under continued development. It shows that electronic conduction through the electrolyte, however small, must be taken into account for determining local oxygen chemical potential within the electrolyte. The chemical potential within the electrolyte may lie out of bounds in relation to values at the electrodes in the electrolyzer mode. Under certain conditions, high pressures can develop in the electrolyte just under the oxygen electrode (anode)/electrolyte interface, leading to electrode delamination. This theory is being further refined and tested by introducing some electronic conduction in the electrolyte.United States. Department of Energy. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable EnergyUnited States. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energ

A price to pay: Turkish and American retaliation for threats to personal and family honor

Two studies investigated retaliatory responses to actual honor threats among members of an honor culture (Turkey) and a dignity culture (northern U.S.). The honor threat in these studies was based on previous research which has shown that honesty is a key element of the conception of honor and that accusations of dishonesty are threatening to one’s honor. In both studies, participants wrote an essay describing the role of honesty in their lives and received feedback on their essay accusing them of being dishonest (vs. neutral feedback). Turkish participants retaliated more strongly than did northern U.S. participants against the person who challenged their honesty by assigning him/her to solve more difficult tangrams over easy ones (Study 1) and by choosing sensory tasks of a higher level of intensity to complete (Study 2). Study 2 added a relational honor condition, in which participants wrote about honesty in their parents’ lives and examined the role of individual differences in honor values in retaliation. Endorsement of honor values predicted retaliation among Turkish participants in both the personal and relational honor conditions, but not among northern U.S. participants